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Bo Ogden (left) of Westlake dribbles to the basket against Converse Judson on March 6, 2026 in a Class 6A Division II regional final at Hays High School in Buda, Texas. (Provided by Joe Nogalski)
BUDA — Being at the school for just one year, Bo Ogden’s legend can only grow so much at Westlake.
But he’s doing his best to try and put his name in the same conversation with some of the school’s top products.
Whenever and whatever was needed Friday, Ogden provided it.
Whether it was clutch scoring or grabbing key rebound after key rebound, Ogden produced with impeccable timing, and the Chaps are in the Class 6A Division II state semifinals because of it.
Ogden finished with an eye-popping 29 points, including scoring the Chaps’ final seven points in the game’s last three minutes, to push Westlake to a 49-46 win over Converse Judson in the Region IV championship game at Hays High School.
“Now that we’ve seen him play (37) games, you see he scores 29, and it feels like a quiet 29 because he’s not hunting shots or just jacking up shots,” Westlake coach Robert Lucero said. “He’s getting to the paint. He makes the right pass. You run some (set plays for him). … He scores in transition, and then before you know it, he’s at the free-throw line. Then it’s just like an accumulation of the entire game. But he does that every day in practice.”
With Westlake’s other top scoring options, Mack Martin and Blake Cannatti, in foul trouble, Ogden had to take on even more of a load. And though he scored 10 points in the third quarter, his best play came in the game’s most crucial stretch.
Westlake led for nearly all of the game, yet it found itself trailing 43-42 midway through the fourth quarter after a 7-0 Judson run.
Ogden quickly drilled a 3-pointer from 24 feet out, and when the Rockets answered with a shot from behind the arc of their own, he responded by sinking a shot near the top of the lane to give the Chaps the lead for good.
After grabbing a defensive rebound — and some prudent time-wasting by Westlake — he sank two free throws with 15 seconds left for the game’s final points.
Oh, and he played the game’s final 4 minutes with four fouls.
“It’s tough offensively (playing in foul trouble),” said Ogden, a Texas signee who played at St. Michael’s his first three years of high school. “I had to slow down a little bit and avoid contact instead of going through it like normal. But I think I got to the rim pretty well tonight, especially at the end.”
Ogden took Westlake (31-6) on his back, but the Chaps got key contributions from several players. Hayes Goldman scored five points, while Alex Allen finished with six points and, like Ogden, grabbed several important rebounds.
“It’s just effort on rebounding,” Allen said. “As soon as the shot goes up, you see it, look at the rim and just go 110% every single possession. … We knew coming in (Judson) was a physical team, and we all decided to … play more physical than them.”
Lucero also lauded his defense. Judson (31-7) averaged 68 ppg in district play and its first two playoff games, something it didn’t come remotely close to Friday.
“The kids have done such a good job of watching film and paying attention in practice,” he said. “You get into a game and (the opponent) can’t run their stuff. Then it comes down to them having to make a play. And our guys were able to clog down on some gaps, make them take a tough shot and grab the rebound.”
But ultimately, this was Ogden’s night. And though his time at Westlake may be brief, and is dwindling, he’s soaking in the moment.
“(The playoff run) is super different than TAPPS,” he said. “If we won this many playoff games, we would be state champions times two. … But I’m really enjoying it. Playing in front of these kind of crowds is awesome, and the amount of students and fans we had today was great.”
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Westlake's Alex Allen looks for a teammate to pass to while being guarded by Judson's Jamari Graves in a Class 6A Division II regional final on March 6, 2026 at Hays High School in Buda, Texas. (Provided by Joe Nogalski)
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